Installation for the pasteurization or sterilization of commodities packed in containers



Dec. 17, 1968 'J. B. VAN DER WINDEN 3,

' INSTALLATION FOR THE PASTEURIZATION OR STERILIZATION 0F COMMODITIES PACKED IN CONTAINERS Filed Jan. 11, 1967 a sheets-sheet 1 F152 0 I? I J i F I I5- F chum I I I J? I I I 1 I i 1 I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I Ez' gv]. I I I II I I a I I IL 1 I I I I 3/ l I I I 7 I 1 I 5 O o I o L J. B. VAN DER WINDEN 3,416,432 INSTALLATION FOR THE PASTEURIZATION Dec. 17, 1968 OR STERILIZATION OF COMMODITIES PACKED IN CONTAINERS 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 11. 1967 Dec. 17, 1968 J B. VAN DER WINDEN 3,416,432

INSTALLATION FOR THE PASTEURIZATION OR STERILIZATION 0F COMMODITIES PACKED IN CONTAINERS 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Jan. 11, 1967 United States Patent 3,416,432 INSTALLATION FOR THE PASTEURIZATION OR STERILIZATION OF COMMODITIES PACKED IN CONTAINERS Johannes B. Van Der Winden, Amstelveen, Netherlands, assignor to Gebr. Stork & C0.s Apparatenfabriek N.V., Amsterdam, Netherlands Filed Jan. 11 1967, Ser. No. 608,673 Claims priority, application Netherlands, Jan. 21, 1966, 6600787 9 Claims. (Cl. 99362) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An installation for the thermal treatment of filled bottles or tins, accommodated in carriers passing through the installation by means of a conveyor, each carrier comprising at least a lever and a reaction member cooperating with zig-zag rails in the interior of the installation for imparting a rocking movement to the carriers.

The invention relates to a device for the pasteurization or sterilization of commodities packed in containers, such as a liquid in a tin or bottle, consisting of a space wherein the commodities receive treatment and through which an endless conveyor advances along a looped portion of its path, the conveyor both entering and leaving the said space through a liquid seal, and a number of carriers for the containers to be treated being pivotally supported, means being provided for imparting a rocking motion to the carriers when they traverse the treatment space, said means comprising at least one lever connected with the carrier and a fixed zig zag guide rail.

This known device is specially intended to ensure that the contents of the containers remain homogeneous as a result of a slow periodical movement of the carriers. This fact is of importance when substances are packed in the containers which tend either to float on the surface (like fats) or to settle (like albumen or sugar).

The known device is not always satisfactory in every respect from the mechanical view-point, since both the required power and the reaction forces produced can rise to a considerable value. It is an object of the invention to overcome these difiiculties and to provide further improvements.

According to the invention this object is attained in the way that: each carrier in the conveyor is supported in an area in the vicinity of the line extending in the longitudinal direction of the carrier and through the centre of gravity thereof.

It is a further object of the invention to prevent the occurrence of a torque and to avoid both a distortion of the conveyor and a production of additional reaction forces.

The invention relates especially to a device wherein in a way known per se each carrier consists of an oblong box, or of a row of adjacent cells, supported at both ends by a conveyor.

It is an other object of the invention to provide a lever arm of a sufiicient length for each rocking movement.

It is a further object of the invention to adapt the shape of the carriers on the one hand to the rocking movement and on the other hand to the possibility to accommodate bottles as well as tins.

An other object of the invention is to provide a construction in which the lever does not only serve as a rocking member, but also as a suspension element for swingably suspending the carrier in the conveyor.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the invention will appear in the description to follow. In the 3,416,432 Patented Dec. 17, 1968 description reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof, and in which there is shown by way of illustration and not of limitation specific forms in which the invention may be embodied.

'In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side view representing the complete installation with removed side wall so that the interior of the device is visible;

FIG. 2 shows to a larger scale a side elevation of a part of the device according to FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a horizontal section to a still larger scale on the line IIIIII in FIG. 2; I

FIG. 4 is a view according to the line IV-IV in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 shows to a still larger scale a section through the carrier on the line V-V in FIG. 4.

As is visible in FIG. 1 the installation comprises a number of turrets or columns 1 disposed on a common base 2. The turret 1 at the left in FIG. 1 constitutes in the usual way the entry and the turret at the right constitutes the exit for an endless conveyor 3 moving along a looped path through the turrets 1. The second turret 1 from the left in FIG. 1 constitutes the treatment space proper and a definite pressure and temperature related to the aimed treatment are maintained therein. In the base 2 an inclined path portion 4 of the conveyor 3 constitutes the connection between the exit and the entry of the device. In this path portion 4 are provided in a way known per se the feeder and the discharge station indicated by an arrow 5 and 6 respectively for the supply of the containers to and the discharge thereof from the carriers 7 of the conveyor 3.

Connected with each carrier 7 is at least one lever 8 as will be readily appreciated from the FIGURES 35. In the embodiment represented, each carrier 7 consists of a long gutter 9 shaped as a fiat box which at its two ends 10 is provided with a lever 8.

Each lever 8 has a free end 11, while the other end is provided with a hub-shaped part 12, of which one side 13 is secured to one end 10 of a carrier 7 and of which the other side 14 carries both a reaction member 15 and a connecting pin 16. This pin 16 is rotatably mounted in a broad link 17 of the conveyor chain 3 which is built up from broad and narrow links 17 and 18 disposed in alternate order. The hub-shaped part 12 is connected with the end of the carrier 7 in such a way that the centre line of the pin 16 constituting the carrying member proper of the carrier 7, coincides with a line 19 extending through the centre of gravity of the carrier.

The lever 8 cooperates on the one hand with a zig zag guide rail 20 and a straight supporting rail 21. The free end 11 of the lever 8 is bearing against the rail 20 and the reaction member 15 of the hub-shaped part 12 of the lever 8 cooperates with the rail 21 (see FIG. 3). The guide rail 20 and the supporting rail 21 are situated in a common plane which is substantially parallel to the direction of advance of the conveyor 3 and perpendicular to the line 19 through the centre of gravity of the carriers 7. As will be appreciated from FIG. 2 the free end 11 of each lever 8as contemplated in the direction of advance of the conveyor 3is trailing.

As mentioned hereinbefore each carrier 7 has substantially the shape of a fiat box 9 which on the one small side 22 is narrowed in order to accommodate a bottle neck, and on the other small side 23 is entirely open with a thresholdlike narrowing 24. As is apparent from FIG. 5 due to this shape a bottle as well as a tin are to a certain limit confined within the carrier 7.

It is evident from FIG. 2 that a rocking motion is imparted to the carriers 7 by means of the lever 8 and the rails 20 and 21.

This rocking motion is imparted in order to maintain the homogeneity of the contents of the container (bottles or tins, see FIG. 5) in the carriers. This is of special importance in the hottest parts of the installation that is to say in the treatment space consisting of the second (from left to right) turret 1 in FIG. 1 and in the adjacent supply and discharge columns in the firstand third turret 1 from left to right in FIG. 1.

The angle of oscillation of the carriers 7 is substantially held within a range between 2030 which is achieved by properly dimensioning the lever 8 and the rails 20 and 21. This rocking movement is repeated many times in both the ascending and descending parts of the looped path of the conveyor 3 in the aforementioned turrets 1. The fact thatt he carriers are supported in an area in the proximity of the line of gravity 19 is advantageous in that the forces required for the rocking movement remain small.

The trailing position of the end of the lever 8 is furthermore advantageous in that the development of considerable reaction forces is avoided. The positioning of the levers 8 in respect of the plane through the conveyor 3 (see FIG. 5) in such a way that one is the mirror image of the other ensures that an adequate force is exerted on each carrier 7 both in the one and the other direction when same is rocked.

A third advantage of the invention consists in that due to the special construction of the lever 8 and the positioning of the rails 20 and 21 the occurrence of bending or torsional forces in the conveyor chain and in the carriers is avoided. The bearing of the carriers 7 in the conveyor 3 by means of the pins 16 is hereby simplified.

While preferred embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, it is to be understood that changes and variations may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. An installation for the pasteurization or sterilization of commodities packed in containers, such as a liquid in a tin or bottle, consisting of a space wherein the commodities receive treatment and through which an endless conveyor advances along a looped portion of its path, the conveyor both entering and leaving the said space through a liquid seal, and a number of carriers for the containers to be treated being pivotally supported, means being provided for imparting a rocking motion to the carriers they traverse the treatment space, said means comprising at least one lever connected with the carrier and a fixed zigzag guide rail, the improvement consisting in that:

each carrier in the conveyor is supported in an area in the vicinity of the line extending in the longitudinal direction of the carrier and through the centre of gravity thereof;

a supporting rail is provided in addition to the guide rail, so that each carrier in the conveyor is beating against the supporting rail in order to absorb the reaction force generated by the guide rail.

2. An installation according to claim 1, characterized in that the guide rail and the supporting rail are situated in a common plane which is parallel to the direction of advance of the conveyor and perpendicular to the aforementioned line through the centre of gravity of the carriers.

3. An installation according to claim 1, characterized in that the free end of each lever-as contemplated in the direction of advance of the conveyoris trailing.

4. An installation according to claim 1, characterized in that the end of each lever which is connected with the carrier constitutes also the connection between the carrier and the conveyor.

5. An installation according to claim 1, wherein each carrier consists of a long gutter comprising a row of adjacent cells supported at both ends by a conveyor, characterized in that a lever and a set of rails are provided at the two ends of the carrier, the angular position of the two levers with respect to the plane through the two conveyors being such that one is the mirror image of the other.

6. An installation according to claim 5, characterized in that a carrier is substantially shaped as a flat box which on its one small side is narrowed in order to accommodate a bottle neck and on its other small side is entirely open with a thresholdlike narrowing.

7. An installation according to claim 5, characterized in that each lever on its one end is provided with a hubshaped part of which one side is secured to an end of a carrier and of which the other side constitutes both the reaction member cooperating with the supporting rail and the connecting pin with the conveyor.

8. An installation according to claim 5, characterized in that the oscillation angle (a) of the rocking movement imparted to the carriers is in the order of magnitude of 20 to 30.

9. An installation according to claim 5, characterized in that solely the guide rail has a zig zag shape, whereas the supporting rail is straight.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,042,686 6/1936 Stephens et al. 99-361 XR 2,695,555 11/1954 Carvallo 99362 3,165,005 1/1965 Van Der Winden 99362 FOREIGN PATENTS 203,949 3/ 1956 Australia.

74,998 6/ 1954 Netherlands.

WALTER A. SCHEEL, Primary Examiner.

I. M. NEARY, Assistant Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 

